CYGNET STRIKES ROCK

Evening Star, Issue 17959, 4 May 1922, Page 9

CYGNET STRIKES ROCK

BOW TORN AWAY, VESSEL RETURNS TO PORT. {Pita United Peess Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 4. Tho coastal steamer Cygnet, while on a trip to Kaikoura. from Lyttelton, struck a rock at Point Gibson, just south of Gove Bay, at 2 o’clock this morning. The woallior was fair and: the sea. moderate. After examination the captain decided to return to .Lyttelton, which port the vessel reached' in duo course. Captain Murray stated that, after the vessel strode, ho immediately launched 1 the lifeboat and ordered tho crow into it. He then investigated the extent of the damage, and concluded that the vessel’s pumps could keep the water down while returning to Lyttelton. Investigations nt Lyttelton showed that the ship’s how had) been torn away for about sft and bent over to tho starboard side. Point Gibson is forty-eight miles from Lyttelton and thirt.y-.four from Kaikoura, [The Cygnet is a well-known steamer, with headquarters at Lyttelton. She was employed for many years in tho Banks Peninsula trade, and was offered at public auction at Lyttelton early this year. Tho bidding, however, did not reach tho vendor's reserve, and eho was passed in at £4,440. Sinco then tho Cygnet lias been employed in tho trade between Lyttelton, Kaikoura, Nelson, and Motueka under the agency of Pitcalthly Bros. , of Christchurch. Sho is an iron steamer of 124 tons register, 120 tana capacity, was built in 1835 by Davis and Glow, Abingdon, and was for some years engaged in tho Parramatta River trade. Her dimensions are : Length 120 ft, beam 17ft 3in, depth 3ft 7in. About fourteen months ago, on a trip from Kaikoura to Lyttelton, she sprang a leak, and it vivas only as a result of strenuous efforts by tho master and crow that she arrived back in port. She was placed, on tho Lyttelton slip, where she remained for many months, being fitted with new plates; in fact, practically the whole of the hull was renewed.]